Thermal head driving method

Abstract

A thermal head for use in thermal printing is operated according to a method in which the data of one line are recorded divisionally, with recording operations for the first and second halves of a line being carried out alternatingly and repeatedly.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a method for driving a thermal head wherein a plurality of heat generating elements arranged in the thermal head are divided into a predetermined number of blocks and the heat generating elements in the respective blocks are driven at different times to carry out the recordation of one line, the improvement comprising the steps of: dividing the data for recording one line into at least two parts and storing each said part in a separate memory;   alternatingly reading out said data from said memories into a single shift register, the data for one portion of said line being latched synchronously with the reading out of the data for another portion of said line from the memory therefor; and,   alternately and repeatedly driving the heat generating elements in each block to record one line.   
     
     
       2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data for recording one line are divided into at least two parts, each said data part being applied as inputs to said heat generating elements alternatingly. 
     
     
       3. A method as claimed in claim 2, a driving operation for each said data part being carried out at least two times. 
     
     
       4. A method as claimed in claim 1, including reading out said data from said memories into shift registers provided exclusively for the data of a particular memory. 
     
     
       5. A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein a time period of said driving operation is insufficient for recordation of said data in a single driving step.